Patrick Chondon 6/28/20 Patrick Chondon 6/28/20

Jordan Graduation Session

It feels really good to be starting up photo sessions again. I know things aren’t completely back to normal, but at least it’s something! One of my first official shoots back was my recent one with Jordan and her family for some graduation photos. I also shouldn’t forget Trixie, who was often the star of the show most of the time.

We started at the Westfort Overpass which is one of my all-time favourite spots for pretty much anything. After that, we headed over to Kam River Park which is another great little spot. There is the Via Rail Train as well as the bridge with the tunnel. Not only did we get shots of Jordan, but we make sure to also grab some nice family photos of everyone too.

The last stop on the shoot was downtown Port Arthur, just off of St. Paul Street. There is the beautiful graffiti along the side street there which perfectly complimented her graduation gown. The 2 hours we spent taking photos flew by so fast. I also managed to do a little bit of video as well, which you can find below.

Patrick Chondon 5/22/15 Patrick Chondon 5/22/15

Heather + Jordan Wedding

With a few small weddings under my belt this year, Heather and Jordan’s special day was my first big one of the season. The weather was absolutely perfect so I knew it was going to be a great wedding. (Not that there are ever any ‘bad’ weddings’) The day started at a small little church just off of Oliver Road. As soon as I arrived I got my usual candid photos of the guests, the church itself and just the usual moments leading up to the ceremony itself. You can always feel the anticipation the air and I just love that feeling. I guess that will be me in August when I get to marry my beautiful Fiancé Anne.

Once the ceremony began, that’s when I really went to work. The good thing was that there was a a lot of room to move around so I was able to get some great creative angles and photos without being a distraction. That is one of the main challenges when shooting inside a church of any kind. As a photographer you want to get the ‘shot’ but you have to do so quietly and discreetly as possible. I’d like to think I have become a pro at it.

After the ceremony, everyone gathered in the church lobby and congratulated the couple. We then decided to do the family portraits right outside the church. I found a nice shaded area in front of the trees. Although it was mainly family group photos I never stopped looking for this spontaneous moments. This goes on throughout the entire day.

Heather and Jordan were very smart and left plenty of time for portraits which meant we were able to travel to a few different locations. The first stop was the Marina. We got some fantastic expansive photos at the firepit area along the water. From there we simply chose different spots and just went with the flow. I came up with some ideas and so did they. It was very relaxed atmosphere and the resulting photos showed that.

Once we left the Marina, it was time for me to just focus on Heather and Jordan. We made our way to Friendship Gardens. I had forgotten how pretty it is there. Some of my favourite photos of the entire day took place there. One of them being the one with the windmill in the background. I also found a nice little spot nestled in the trees. It was then time to head on over to the reception, which took place at the Valhalla Inn. Before everyone settled in, I was able to get a lot of detail photos of the decorations and table settings, as well as the cake.

From there, it was just a matter of walking around and documenting the ceremony. I only had a little bit of time to work with so we decided to do the ‘cupcake’ cutting before hand. I did get the opportunity to photograph the first dance and a fun game they did with the crowd. After that, my day was done. All in all, I came away with so many great photos. Thanks as always to Heather and Jordan. It was a very fun wedding to photograph and everyone was fantastic to work with.

Patrick Chondon 12/21/14 Patrick Chondon 12/21/14

Heather + Jordan Engagement

My latest engagement session was a bit different in that it was split up into two different sessions. Heather and Jordan initially wanted to get some photos in the early morning at Hillcrest with the city lights in the background. So, the day of, we showed up at around 8:15 in the morning and took advantage of the darkness and the beautiful lights of the city. After about 20 minutes it started to pour rain so we had to cut it short.

We obviously couldn't just end it at that so we schedule a second mini session for later in the week at the Marina, for the morning once again. This time around we did it around 9:45 which allowed the sun to come up a bit more and give the photos an entirely different feel.

Instead of rain though it was blisteringly cold. We moved quickly between each shot to make sure we didn't get too cold. Heather and Jordan were both real troopers. Even though they were cold we managed to get some fantastic photos. One of my favourite photos in a very long time is the one you will find at the very top of this post. It's easy to always zoom in on each and every couple which is all fine and good but you still need to remember to take a step back sometimes. For that particular shot I stepped very far back which allowed for a uniquely intimate photo while showing off the surrounding scenery of the marina.

Both sessions went by extremely quick but were so much fun. I really can't wait for the wedding next year!